Okay, I ran Windows 7 in safe mode and I can't recreate the problem I was having. Switched back to normal mode, and I could recreate the problem.

Normally, that would be strongly indicative of a driver problem - something that doesn't load in safe mode that is loading at a regular boot. Have you tried disabling all the browser add-ins installed in IE via the Tools and "Manage add-in" options?

probably got some conflict.
1. Click on the start button, type in msconfig in the run form and select the Msconfig tool from the search results.
2. Switch to the Startup tab first and remove all selected entries there. Please note that this can mean that a security software is disabled. You might want to keep that checked just in case. It can however be the cause for the explorer problems.
3. Switch to the Services tab and check “Hide all Microsoft services” at the bottom. This ensures that only third party services are displayed. Disable all the selected services as well and restart the computer afterwards.

About 1 hour ago I upgraded to Windows 8 and I don't seem to have the "Windows Explorer stopped working" problem anymore. I'd prefer Windows 7 if it weren't for that problem but I'm finding Windows 8 more stable than Windows 7. I tried to recreate the problem with Windows 8 and so far I can't. I'm even installed Start8 to make it more like Windows 7 desktop interface so I can try to replicate the problem in Windows 8 in a similar fashion that I did in Windows 7.

Last edited by Dave3000; 11-07-2012 at 10:01 PM.
Reason: Changed 8 to 7.

probably got some conflict.
1. Click on the start button, type in msconfig in the run form and select the Msconfig tool from the search results.
2. Switch to the Startup tab first and remove all selected entries there. Please note that this can mean that a security software is disabled. You might want to keep that checked just in case. It can however be the cause for the explorer problems.
3. Switch to the Services tab and check “Hide all Microsoft services” at the bottom. This ensures that only third party services are displayed. Disable all the selected services as well and restart the computer afterwards.

I tried that and it did not work, however the one startup option that does not load any of the services worked but I don't intend to use Windows 7 that way.

About 1 hour ago I upgraded to Windows 8 and I don't seem to have the "Windows Explorer stopped working" problem anymore. I'd prefer Windows 7 if it weren't for that problem but I'm finding Windows 8 more stable than Windows 7. I tried to recreate the problem with Windows 8 and so far I can't. I'm even installed Start8 to make it more like Windows 7 desktop interface so I can try to replicate the problem in Windows 8 in a similar fashion that I did in Windows 7.

I've been playing around with Win8 in a virtual machine and find that it, with Start8 or Startisback (so I don't have to mess with that abortion of a Metro UI), seems to be a halfway decent OS.

BTW, if you haven't done it yet, don't forget to register for your free key to add Windows Media Center as it isn't included with Win8 Pro:

Going to Windows 8 gave me a different kind of error message. When I got my system out of sleep mode and then shutdown my PC, I got a message saying that there is a problem detected with my PC. I was also using the Start is Back start menu mod for Windows 8 and was doing through that start menu, so I'm not sure if it's the mod that was causing the problem with the shutdown in Windows 8 or my hardware. I know I have good RAM, good SSD, good video card, and most likely a good CPU (could not make it error in CPU stress tests). I went back to Windows 7 because some stuff ran slower in Windows 8 for me and didn't like the idea of having to use a 3rd party mod for a Windows 7 style start menu.

I suspect that the motherboard is the problem. Today when I went to check for updates in Windows 7, it gave me the Windows stopped working message as well. What I noticed is that this message only happens when I sometimes click on stuff in the Control Panel. Is there a way to test for an unstable motherboard or is doing an actual replacement of the motherboard the only way to find out if the motherboard is unstable?

The person who created Startisback said in a post in his comment forum for the beta/RC version that it makes no changes to the underlying Win8 install (though it probably installs one or more Windows services, as I know Start8 does). As a result, I sincerely doubt it is causing the problem.

I think that you've come to the right conclusion related to the motherboard. Unless the manufacturer included some type of diagnostic software with the motherboard that is capable of detecting a fault, the answer is no. You just have to do what you have done, by process of elimination cover every other possibility which leaves the motherboard as the only other possible source of the fault.

Is the board still under warranty? If so, I'd try an RMA. You didn't say what board you have, so I'd leave it installed in case they insist on running through a troubleshooting checklist before issuing an RMA.

Well I think I solved the problem. The latest network adapter driver for my motherboard were causing the problem. I installed the previous version of the driver and all seems stable now. It's been 1 day so far and no problems and I was trying to recreate the problem but just can't. I called Asus yesterday and the tech support guy blamed MS for the problem I was having and told me that I might want to contact MS about the problem. I was almost about to buy a new motherboard yesterday just to find out if my motherboard was the problem but I didn't because they didn't have the one I wanted in stock.

Dave, Did you get to the bottom of the windows explorer stopped working mess?I tried your last suggestion (network adapter) rollback and it worked for a couple days....now it's back. Very similar overall to your experience.

About 1 week ago the problem Windows Explorer error when opening up System and Security in the Control Panel returned, even with the older network driver. It was working fine with the older network driver for 1 year, well I Asus had a new network driver (version 17.200)and I used that one since a few months ago without problems but 1 week ago the problem came back even with the older network drivers (version 16.600). I decided to install Windows 8 and I don't get that problem with Windows 8. Yesterday went back to Windows 7 thinking that an overclock might have corrupted some files in my system but I still got the problem in Windows 7, after I installed the latest RST drivers for my motherboard. I had that problem with the Enterprise version of these drivers as well. I know it's not my CPU, SSD, memory because when I had that problem a year ago, I had a different CPU, SSD, and brand of memory.

Installing Windows 7 from the original DVD still gave me that problem. It seems that timing plays a big part in trying to recreate the problem. For example if I go the System and Security in the Control Panel before Windows finishing loading stuff into the lower right side of the taskbar at startup, the error about DUI70.dll occurs, and not all the icons still have not been loaded (Power Options, Backup and Restore, etc.). There's also a about a 1 second pause before the error message appears. Not a problem with my SSD because when I had my old SSD in my system I still had that problem with showing the faulted file, DUI70.dll, in the same manner.

I want to avoid installing Windows 8 because 3dmark 11 and Grid 2 ran a little better on my system in Windows 7 and the boot up speed was only a few seconds faster in Windows 8, and I don't like the Windows 8 Start Screen. I have Start8 but still.

I reinstalled Windows 8 and now my system does not get that DUI70.dll error through the Control Panel that it did in Windows 7. I tried to reproduce it but it doesn't happen. I think I'm just going to stick with Windows 8 in conjunction with Start is Back since I don't like seeing the Start Screen during boot-up and don't like the hot corners and charms bar in Windows 8. Will Start is Back support Windows 8.1, because I plan to upgrade to Windows 8.1 when it releases and I prefer Start is Back over Start8?